Norway: Digital Transport Declaration and a New EXPO Service for Transport Companies

Transporting goods to Norway requires increasingly careful administrative preparation by transport companies before arriving at the border. The Norwegian Customs Administration is introducing the digital submission of transport and goods data, which means that information about the transport must be submitted electronically before crossing the border or, at the latest, at the moment of crossing the border.

For carriers, this means that before arriving at the Norwegian border, data on the vehicle, driver, goods, arrival time and border crossing must be prepared and linked in a timely manner. The aim of this system is to enable Norwegian Customs to know in advance which transport is entering the country, to allow faster processing of consignments and, where necessary, to carry out checks of the goods and the transport.

Important Deadlines for Transport Companies

According to information from the Norwegian Customs Administration, from 15 September 2026, the digital submission of declarations and the provision of transport and goods data will become mandatory. This means that transport companies, drivers, freight forwarders, importers and other participants in the transport chain must ensure that the required data is submitted before arrival at the border or, at the latest, at the moment of crossing the border.

Another important change will enter into force on 1 March 2027, when the customs declaration will have to be submitted no later than at the moment of crossing the border, while the existing direct transport procedure will be abolished. Until that date, in certain cases, goods may be presented by providing a reference number.

What is a Transport Notification?

For vehicles carrying goods to Norway where the goods are subject to customs clearance, a Transport Notification, i.e. a digital transport declaration, must be submitted. This declaration must be submitted before crossing the border or, at the latest, upon arrival at the border.

The driver of the vehicle is responsible for submitting the Transport Notification, but the declaration may also be submitted by another person acting on behalf of the driver. After the declaration has been submitted, a reference number, i.e. an MRN, is issued and forwarded to the party providing the goods data, so that the consignment can be linked to the appropriate vehicle.

In this way, based on the transport and goods data submitted in advance, Customs can assess the risk of the consignment before it arrives and, where no inspection is required, automatically release the goods for the selected customs procedure.

It is important to emphasise that a Transport Notification is not considered valid until it has been linked to the submitted consignment. This is precisely why coordination between the carrier, driver, freight forwarder, importer and other participants in the chain is of key importance.

Relationship Between the Transport Declaration and the Prior Notification of Goods Through ICS2

In addition to the digital transport declaration, in certain cases it is also necessary to take into account the prior notification of goods. According to information from the Norwegian Customs Administration, prior notification applies to goods imported from countries outside the EU customs security area, and the ICS2 system is used to fulfil this obligation.

This means that the transport declaration and the prior notification of goods are not the same obligation. The transport declaration relates to the vehicle, driver, time and place of arrival, while the prior notification of goods relates to goods data and the security risk assessment before entry into the EU customs territory. Norwegian Customs states that, in the case of prior notification, the information is submitted before the goods are loaded abroad and before the transport enters the security area.

For carriers, it is therefore important to check before transporting goods to Norway whether the goods have already been properly notified through the appropriate system and whether the MRN from the transport declaration can be linked to the goods data.

Why Is This Important for Carriers?

The greatest risk for transport companies will not arise only from the declaration obligation itself, but from inconsistencies between data relating to the vehicle, driver, time of entry, border crossing, goods and customs documentation.

Problems may arise when:

• the transport declaration has not been submitted before arrival at the border;
• the MRN has not been forwarded to the party submitting the goods data;
• the transport declaration has not been linked to the relevant consignment;
• the data relating to the vehicle, driver or border crossing is not accurate;
• the goods data has not been submitted in advance or is not available on time;
• the driver does not have clear information on which reference number relates to their transport;
• the carrier, importer, freight forwarder and customs representative have not exchanged data in a timely manner.

For this reason, it is important that the preparation of transport to Norway is not left until the moment of arrival at the border, but that all data is obtained, checked and linked in advance.

New EXPO Service: Transport Notification for Norway

To help transport companies meet the new digital obligations in Norway more easily, the EXPO team is introducing a new specialised service – the preparation and submission of Transport Notification declarations for carriers.

As part of this service, the EXPO team provides support with:

• checking the basic data required for the transport declaration,
• preparing and submitting the transport declaration,
• obtaining the MRN reference number,
• forwarding the MRN number to the client.

The digitalisation of customs procedures shows that international transport increasingly depends on timely data submission, system interconnection and good coordination between all participants in the chain.

For carriers transporting goods to Norway, the obligation to submit a transport declaration is becoming an important part of the administrative preparation of transport. A single inconsistent or incomplete declaration may cause delays and additional complications at the border.

If you are planning transport to Norway and need support with the transport declaration, contact the EXPO team.

The EXPO team takes over the administrative preparation of the transport declaration, while you focus on safe and smooth transport.